How Do Birth Defect Registries Contribute to Public Health?

Birth defect registries play a vital role in public health by providing essential data that can inform prevention strategies and healthcare planning. They help identify risk factors such as maternal age, environmental exposures, and genetic predispositions. This information can lead to targeted interventions, such as folic acid supplementation programs, which have been shown to reduce the incidence of neural tube defects. Registries also support surveillance activities that monitor the impact of these interventions over time.